Flour sifter



Dec. 22, 1931. A.- E. BRUFFEE FLOUR SIFTER Filed May 28, 1928 atfozwaq Patented Dec. 22, 1931 was era ARCHER E. BRU'FFEE, OF PORTLAND, OREGON FLOUR SIF'IER Application filed May 28,

My invention relates to flour sifters in which arevolving brush, a screen and a forced feed conveyer are disposed underneath a conical hopper; at one end of the revolving brush 5. is a tailing box, and at the end of the forced feed conveyer is an elevator.

The objects of my invention are to devise a machine by means of which foreign substances, such as lint, splinters, insects, and

other such like matter, can be removed from the flour; which blends two kinds of flour in the desired proportions, which aerates the flour, and finally elevates the finished product into the desired receptacle.

I attain these objects with the mechanism, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of the entire apparatus.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the sifting box and conveyer, the end wall having been removed.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The conical hopper l is separated by a vertical partition wall 2 into two compartments, and each compartment is closed at the bottom by an individual slide 3. Integrally attached 39 to the hopper 1, and supported by a plate 4 on the pipe frame 5, is a receptacle 6, the upper part of which forms the sifting box. In the sifting box is a revolving brush composed of a horizontal shaft 7, arms 8 firmly mounted at each end of the shaft, and a backing 9 with bristles 1O thereon, connecting the extremities of said arms.

This revolving brush presses the flour through the semi-cylindrical screen 11. The arms 8 on the shaft 7 are set in staggered relation to each other in order to give the backing 9 with its bristles 10 a slanting position whereby any foreign substance in the flour will be gradually worked toward an opening 12 in the end wall and into a tailing box 13 at the outside of the receptacle 6, from whence the tailings can be removed from time to time.

Under the screen 11 is a forced feed con- 0 veyer composed of a square wooden shaft 14 1928. Serial No. 281,285.

mounted on an axle 15. Attached in a suitable manner to the sides of the square shaft are the wooden paddles ,16 which are set spirally on the shaft and act as propellers'to force the flour into an elevator. This elevator consists of a round tube 17 extending upward at an angle of approximately sixty six degrees, and supported laterally by the plate 4 on top of the frame 5. The bottom of the tube 1'? rests firmly on the yoke 18, and the legs of the yoke 18 are affixed to some straps 19 on the frame 5. A screw 20 in the tube 17elevates the flour and discharges the same through a spout 21' into the desired receptacle,- usually a dough-mixer. The bottom of the screw 20 within the yoke 18 ispro vided with a bevel gear 22.

Suspended from the plate 4 is an electric motor 23 which drives, by means of a belt 24, a pulley 25 at the end of the main shaft 26.

This shaft 26 is mounted in bearings 27 on the yoke 18 and carries firstly a bevel gear 28 which meshes with the bevel gear'22 on the screw 20, and secondly, at'the other end of the shaft 26, a pulley 29 from which the forced feed conveyer and the revolving brush are driven simultaneously. The pulley on the forced feed conveyer is indicated by the numeral 30, the pulley on the revolving brush by 31, and the belt by the numeral 32. A chain and sprocket wheels may advantageously'be substituted for the elements-in the last-mentioned drive. In every case the tight side of the chain or belt should be employed to drive the forced feed conveyer, in order to obtain a more efiective drive.

The two compartments in the hopper in combination with the individually sliding valves perinitthe mixing of different kinds and quantities of flour, the revolving brush removes impurities from the flour and the agitation caused by the brush, the conveyer and. the elevator,. thoroughly blends and aerates the flour.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that my objects have been accomplished, and, though I have shown the preferred form of construction, I reserve to myself the right to make minor changes, providing I do not contravene the spirit and prin ciple of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pipe frame, a conical hopper supported on the pipe frame, a sifting chamber at the bottom of the hopper a forced feed conveyer below the sifting chamher, an elevator at the end of the forced feed conveyer, said elevator extending upward at an angle of sixty-six degrees from the horizontal, and being laterally supported by the pipe frame, the bottom of the elevator being attached to a yoke, straps in the bottom of the pipe frame, the legs of the yoke resting on the straps, said elevator being driven by a bevel gear at the bottom of the elevator within the yoke.

'2. In a device of the character described, I I

the'combination of a pipe-frame, a conical hopper supported on the pipe frame, a sifting chamber at the bottom of the hopper, a forced feed'conveyer below the sifting chamber, an elevator at the end of the forced feed conveyer, a supporting yoke at the bottom of the elevator, a motor suspended from the top of the pipe frame, a main shaft rotatively mounted in the yoke,,"said main shaft being driven by the motor, driving means at the end of the main shaft, said'driving means operating the forced feed conveyerandthe sifting chamber simultaneously, and a bevel gear on the main shaft to drive the elevator.

3. In a flour sifter, the combination including a revolving brush, a forced feed conveyor under the revolving brush and parallel thereto, a" main shaft under the forced feed conveyer and parallel thereto, a screw elevator communicating with the forced feed 0on veyer, said screw elevator being disposed at right angles to the main shaft and operatively connected therewith, a single sprocket wheel at the ends of the main shaft, the forced feed conveyer, and the revolving brush respectively, said three sprocket wheels be ing alignedin a vertical plane, a single sprocket chain connecting the main shaft with a revolving brush, the sprocket wheel on the forced feed conveyer pressing against the tight side of the sprocket chain and increasing the arc of contact between the sprocket chain and the other two aforementioned sprocket wheels, and a motor operatively attached to the main shaft, the rotation of the motor actuating simultaneously, the revolving brush, the forced feed conveyer and the screw elevator.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

A. E. BRUFFEE. 

